Laundry drying machine



March 14, 1944. E. .1. DOWNES LAUNDRY DRYING MACHINE Fil ed March 21,1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 14, 1944. E,IJ DQwNEs 2,344,135

LAUNDRY DRYING MACHINE Filed March 21, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fail/addflow/765 eilicienciee.

Patented Mar. 14,1944

UNITED' STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,344,135 e mummy name MACHINE Edward J.nownes, Albany, N. Y. Y Application March 21, 1941,:sem1 No. 384,467

8 Claims. (01. 34-109) The type of laundry drying machine to which myinvention relates comprises a casing having rotatably mounted therein aforaminous cylinder adapted to receive the articles'to, be dried. Themachine has associated therewith a heating device, such as steam coilsand the like; for heating the air which is admitted to the interior ofthe casing and a blower iorcausing a flow of heated air through thecasing and the drum therein. One end of the drum is formed with anopening therein through which the articles I may be placed within thedrum and taken there- I vention. to provide a laundry drying machine,-

from, and the" casing is provided with an opening arranged in registrywith the opening in the end or the drum.. Within the interior of thedrum are arranged a plurality of pairs of diametricallyopposed baflleswhich extend longitudinally of the drum and radially inwardly for acomparatively short distance; An electric motor, through a suitabledriving mechanism, serves to rotate the drum within-the casing and, as

the drum rotates, he baflles serve to agitate the" articles to someextent, turning them over and over or tumbling them to promote rapiddrying.

Heretofore, the bellies of the drum, above referred to, have been orsubstantially equal radial lengths and 'extendradially inwardly short ofthe edge 'of the opening in the end or the drum. In practice, the inneredges of the baiiles are spaced a substantial distance outwardly fromthe opening in the drum. For example, in one size of drying machines orthe foregoing type, the interior of the drum is of a diameter of about36" and the opening in the end of the drum is approximately of adiameter of about 24". In machines of thesedimensions, the baffles havea radial length of about 4", leaving a clearedges of the ballles and theopening in the drum. An appreciable spacing between the inner edges 1 ofthe bailles' and the opening in the drum has been considered essentialin order to obviateanv As a result, and because of the heretoforeconsidered necessarily limited radial length or the drum baflles, the,articles during the drying proc.

ess are neither distributed nor agitated to an However, I havedetermined that the-drum of a drying machine of the foregoing charactermay be provided with bellies of much greater radial length thanheretofore considered practical and of suchlength that they extendinwardly beyond the edge of the opening in the end of the drum thereby,for various reasons,

providing a machine of a pronounced and much' higher drying efliciencythan has heretofore been attainable.

It is, therefore, the primary object of my inof the character abovereferred to, comprising a drum having an opening in the end thereof andprovided interiorly thereof with baflles'which extend radially inwardlyand beyond the edge of the said opening in th end of the drum.

. I have also determined thatbut one pair of diametricallyopposedybaflles should beof such radial length as to extend inwardlybeyond the edge of the opening in the end or the drum in order toprovide a drying machine which is highly eillcient, and the others ofsaidbaiiies may be of lesser radial length, or. of a lengthslmilar tothoseheretoiore used. The arrangement of the bailles in this mannerprovides very high drying efficiencies and is therefore preferable.

' The efllcienc of drying machines wherein the baiiles extend inwardlybeyond the edge of the ancedistance 01' about 2" between the innerextent .sumcient to prevent entwining or rolling up or the articles in acomparatively compact mass or Hence-design of machines or this characterdoes not promote high drying flciencies become still higher when thebailes are 'of appreciable, unequal radial lengths and but opening inthe end oi'the drum is higher than the efficiencies otherwise obtainablebecause, for

one reason, the articles are more forcibly agitated-and continuouslymore uniformly distributed over the interior, cylindrical surface of-thedrum and maintained in this relationship while being turned over ortumbled. In other words, the tendency or the articles to become rolledup in a ball, which is otherwise present when the drum rotatescontimiouslyin one direction, is

ly e i d in a drum of the characterherein contemplated.

However, as above indicated, the efone pair ofdiametricallyopposedbailles extend; in f themanner above pointed 'out,inwardly beyond the edge of the opening in the drum. The bailles, inthis latter case, due to the appreciable diiference in their radiallengths,-8ubiect the ar-' ticles successively to agitation or tumblingto, quitediilerent degrees, thereby destroying any tendency ofthearticles to roll in a balland producing a better distribution andredistribution of the articles within the drum as it is rotated.

A second object or" inventiom therei'ore,

thereof into two compartments. Hence,

detail; I Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, end elevation view of residesin-providing a drying machine having a drum of the character in'whichone pair of the baflies are of greater radial length than the otherbaflies; and it is a further objectto provide a drum of this characterin which the pair of op posed battles of greatest length extendAnwardlybeyond the edge of the opening in the drum.

It is also an object of my invention to provide, in a drying machine, adrum having diametrically opposed baflles therein which extend radiallyinwardly beyond the edge of the opening inthe end of the drum, whichbaflles, at the ends thereof, comprise or tially flexible and yieldableelements which are arranged to extend between the ends of thesubstantially rigid baflies andthe stationary. parts of the machinethereby positively preventing articles within the drum-from beingcaught, as the drum is rotated, betweenthe baiiles and stationary partsof the machine.

The arrangement of th battles in the manner.

pointed out in the foregoing, alone, provides a drying machine having amuch higher drying efiiciency than previous machines. Furthermore, whena pair ofdi-ametrically opposed baiiles extend inwardly beyond the edgeof the opening in the drum, they afford a means whereby an inexpensivebarrier element may be readilypositioned within the drum for subdividingthe interior not only do the baflles, when arranged as above pointedout, provide a highly efllcient drying operation when the drumconstitutes a single compartment but also, since these baflies makepossible the use of a simple and readilyinsertable partitioning abovepointed out but diametrically opposed;

. One end plate 4 of are provided with substans 9, and the curved flangeso opening I l in the opening ll element, the drum may be inexpensivelyand-- quickly converted intova two compartment element whereby twocomparatively small-washes may be placed;respectively, inthe twocompartments and dried simultaneously thereby still further increasingthe 1 efliciency of the machine in the sense that the-time requiredsimultaneously to dry the two washesis considerably less than thatrequired successively to dry them.

It is, therefore, a still further object of my invention to provide, incombination, a drying machine including a drum having baifles therein ofthe character above pointed out and a partitioning member or simple andinexpensive construction which 'is adapted to be inserted through theopenings in the casing and in the end' of the drum and moved, in slidingengagement with the endsor the diametrically opposed bailles whichextend inwardly beyondthe edge of the opening in the drum, intodrum-subdividing position.

I attain the foregoing and further objects of my invention, as willhereinafter appear, by emloying the novel constructions and thecombinations and. arrange 'ents of elements described the accompanyingdrawbelow and illustrated in ings, in which s 1 is a front elevationview of a laundry drying machine embody 1 8-my invention;

Fig. 2- is a fragmentary, sectional elevation view thereof taken inabout the plane 2-2 of F18. 1;

Fig. 3 is a. fragmentary, sectional view of a a modification: Fig.. 6illustrates a still further modification;

diametrically opposed,

spectively, of the machine.

a preferred form of and 2, I indicates generally a drying machine whichcomprises a casing 2 within which is rotatably mounted a, foraminouscylinder or drum 3. the drum is fastened ona supporting and drive shaft5 which is journaled in bearings 6. The othen end plate 'I of the drumis provided with an opening 8 therein through which articles may bedeposited within and taken from th drum. The edges of the end plate 'Isurrounding the opening ltherein are preferably curved outwardly andreversely as indicated at formed is adapted to extend about an annularflange I'll with which the casing is provided. Flange l0 defines an nthe casing which registers with the opening 8 in the drum. A closureelement for in the casing,such as a door I2, may be hinged to theexterior of the casing 2 and isdesigned to be latched in closed positionwhen the machine is in operation.

A suitable heating device, such as steam heated coils, is disposed inthe top I! of the casing from which heated air may pass downwardlythrough an opening M therein to the interiorof the casing and the drum3: Movement of the heated air through the drum is promoted by means of asuction device I, mounted adjacent the base of the machine, which sucksthe air .from the interior of thecasing through an opening. it in thebottom thereof and discharges it through a pipe H. The suction device isoperated by means of an electric motor I8 which also, through a suitablespeed-reducing mechanism and sprockets l8 and 2a and chain 2|, serves torotate the drum 3.

In the embodiment herein illustrated, the drum 3 is provided interio'rlythereof with two pairsof preferably substantially rigid, baflies whichextend longitudinally of the drum. In accordance with the preferred formof my invention, one pair of at 22, are of a comparatively short'radiallength and extend inwardly from the periphery of the drum short of theopening 8 in they end of the drum. However, the other pair of bailles,indicated at 23, are of greater length than the baflles 22 and extendinwardly .beyond the edges of the openings 8 and II in the drumandcasing, re-

As hereinbefore pointed out, the bones, when arranged in this manner,produce agitation of the better distribution andredistribution of thearticles as the drum iii-rotated so that, all portions aare placedwithinthe drum from being caught. between those portions of the battleswhich ex- 1 the'drum and the stationary parts thereof are continuouslyor successively'exposed to the heated air passing through the casing Inorder positively to prevent articles which tend beyond the inner edge ofthe end plate I of of the machine, it'is necessary to provide each ofthe baiiles (see Figs. 3 and 4) with a preferably flexible and yleldableelement 2 which may be formed of felt or like material and whichpreferably assaid baflles, indicated as the drum is rotated, todifferent de- 7 and to maintain this these baffles promote a;

tends from the ends of the baiiles and into su stantial engagement withthe edge of the flange l about the opening II in the casing, and fromflange H) to the curved edge 9 of opening 8 in the drum. In theembodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the inner surface of the doorl2 lies space between the end of the baflie and the stationary parts ofthe machine, will be positively prevented from entering therein andbeing caught and mutilated. Therefore, the provision of a yieldingelement treme importance. The elements 24 when wiping the casing of themachine also serve another useful function. Ap-

to touch the sides of the flange adjacent thereto, and, otherwise, theelement 29 serves substanend of the baiiie and and flange 28, and theinner surface of the door l2.

The end of the baflle, in all cases, is preferably spaced from theflange about the opening in the casing a distance of so that theyieldable elements may perform their intended function of preventing thearticles from being caught. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 6, thebaflie 23 is cut away at the end thereof element 29.

-In the embodiment of Fig. 6 and when the baflie 23 is removable, theelement 29 is preferably provided with a bolt 3| which passestherethrough and through slots 32 on opposite sides parently, as thedrum of a drying machine of this I character is caused to rotate anelectrostatic charge is built up on the drum and baflles therein. Whenthe baiiies extend inwardly beyond the edge of the opening in the end ofthe drum, this charge will cause articles formed of silk and othermaterials having like electrical properties to gravitate toward thestationary flange IU of the casing and they will be caught between thebaffles and end of the drum and the casing and torn. In some instances,such article so caught between the drumor baiiies and easing will stallthe machine, and it has been observed that silks or articles of likematerial have the greatest tendency to segregate from in the abovemanner. However, the elements 24, when allowed to touch or wipe thecasing,'serve to dissipate this electrical of the silks does not occur.

In Fig. 5, I have shown a modified form of yieldable element, indicatedat 23. This element is adapted for use with a drying machine in whichthe inner edge of the door thereof when closed as indicated at 29, doesnot lie flush with the inner edge of flange In but is spaced therefromthe flange lo and extend substantially into abutting relationship withthe inner surface of the door.

In Fig. 6, I have of the baflies. This in drying machines wherein theinwardly extending flange 23, which defines the opening in the casing,extends within the drum and beyond the inner edge of the end plate 1thereof. For adaptation to machines of this character, a yieldableelement 29 is provided which is recessed as indicated at 30 to receivetheend of the flange 28 therein. Preferably, alledges of the reentrantportion 30 are arranged substantially the mass and-be caught element isdesigned'for use -However, the nut .ably, of course, the ends'of the ofthe baflie 23. A nut 33 serves to clamp the element against movementrelative to the baiiie. 33 may be loosened and the element slidsubstantially entirely within the baiile so that the baflie may beremoved from the drum, and the element 29 may then be removed from thebaiiie.

My invention also contemplates the provision of a preferably flat andforaminous, substantially rigid plate-like element which, because thebailies 23 the openings in the end of the ing, may be adapted to slidebaffles 23 and to be supported thereon as a partitioning element,subdividing the interior of the drum into two compartments. A preferredpartitioning element construction, indicated generally at 35 in Figs. 7and 8, comprises a as framing elements therefor. To each end of theelement 36 are rigidly fastened strips 38 and 39 which extend therealongand cooperatively form a channel 01 suflicient therebetween the ends ofthe baiiies 23. Preferbaiiies 23 will extend to a .suflicient extentbetween the strips 33 and 39 as to adequately support the partitioningelement thereon. The partitioning element preferably abuts the end plate4 of the drum, when operatively positioned within said drum, and theother end thereof preferably hes in close proximity to the inner surfaceof the door l2. In practice, it is found that articles are never caughtbetween the partitioning element and the door of the machine whenarranged in the foregoing manner although, if desirable, a yieldable,flexible strip may be provided along that edge of the partitioningelement which lies adjacent the inner surface of the door.

From the foregoing, it should be apparent that by virtue of thearrangement and correlation 01' elements hereinbefore described, Iprovide a drying machine ofthe open end type having extremely highdrying efliciencies as compared to previous machines of this character;and one which may be quickly and inexpensively converted from a singlecompartment to a double compartment drier, or vice versa, and is ofhigher efllciency than former machines of this type when used in eithercapacity. For example, the amount of work which can be performed by themachine of my invention, in terms of pounds of the order of about A inchextend inwardly beyond the edges of I drum and the cason the ends of thea single compartment drier.

' said drum; said drum having teriorly thereof with articles dried perday, or over any given period of time, is much higher than that whichheretofore could be performed by machines of this general type and thisis true even when used as However, when used as a double compartmentmachine and the customers washes, which are never mingled in a drier,are, let us say, approximately one-half the weight of the loadingcapacity of the machine, two of such washes may be dried simultaneouslyand in a length of time not greatly exceeding that required alone to dryone of said washes.

While I have described my invention in its preferred embodiments, it isto be understood that, the words which I have used are words ofdescription rather than of limitation. Hence, changes within the purviewof the appended claims may be made without departing from the true scopeand spirit of my invention in its broader aspects.

What I claim is:

l. In a laundry drying acter described, the having an opening thereinand a closure element therefor, of a foraminous drum rotatably mountedwithin said casing, means for passing air through said casing and drumand means for rotating an opening in one end thereof and beingpositioned to rotate with its said opening in registry with the openingin said casing; and said drum being provided ina plurality of pairs ofsubstantially diametrically opposed baiiles extending longitudinally ofsaid drum, both baflles of one of said pairs extending inwardly from theperiphcry of said drum beyond the edge of the said opening thereinwhereby said bailles are of sufficient radial length to promote a highlyexposed condition of the articles within the drum, as it is rotated, andcompressible, yielding means disposed between the ends of said lastmentioned pair of baflles and the casing of said machine for preventingthe articles from wedging between the drum and casing.

2. In a laundry drying machine of the character described, thecombinationwith a casin having an opening therein and a closure elementtherefor, of a foraminous drum rotatably mounted within said casing,means for passing air through said casing and drum and means forrotating said drum; said drum having an opening in one and thereof andbeing positioned to rotate with its said opening in registry with theopening in said casing: and said drum being provided interiorly thereofwith a plurality of pairs of substantially diametrically opposed bafflesextending longitudinally of said drum, both bailles of one of said pairsextending inwardly from the periphery of said drum beyond the 'edge ofthe said opening therein whereby said baflies are of suflicient radiallength to promote a highly exposed condition of the articles within thedrum, as it is rotated, and said last mentioned pair of bafliescomprising compressible, yielding end portions in the zones thereoflying adjacent the opening in said casing and-inwardly beyond the edgeof the opening in said drum and said end portions lying closely adiacentthe casing at said opening therein 3. In a laundry dryi machine of thecharacter described, the combination with a casing having an openingtherein and a closure element therefor, of a foraminous drum rotatabiymounted within said casing, means for passing air through said casingand drum and means for rotating said machine of the chardrum; said drumhaving an opening in one end thereof and being positioned to rotate withits said opening in registry with the opening in said casing; and saiddrum being provided interiorly thereof with a plurality of pairs ofsubstantially diametrically opposed baflies extending longitudinallyof'said drum, both baflies of one of said pairs extending inwardly fromthe periphery of said drum beyond the edge of the said opening thereinwhereby said baiiles are of sufflcient radial length to promote a highlyexposed condition of the articles within the drum, as it is rotated, andcompressible, yielding means projecting beyond the ends of said lastmentioned pair of battles in the zones thereof extending inwardly beyondthe edge of the opening in said drum and adjacent the combination with acasing opening in said casing, said compressible yielding means beingadapted to prevent the articles from wedgingbetween the drum and casing.

4. In a laundry drying machine of the character described, thecombination with a casing having an opening therein and a closureelement therefor, of a foraminous drum rotatably mounted within saidcasing, means for passing air through said casing and drum and means forrotating said drum; said drum having an opening in one end thereof andbeing positioned to rotate with its said opening in registry with theopening in said casing; and said drum being provided interiorly thereofwith a plurality of pairs of substantially diametrically opposed bafflesextending longitudinally of said drum, both baflies of one of said pairsextending inwardly from the periphery of said drum beyond the edge ofthe said opening therein, and a partition element for subdividing theinterior of said drum into two compartments, said element being adaptedto pass through the opening in said casing and drum and being providedwith means slidably engageable with the said last mentioned pair ofbattles for supporting said partition element therebetween whereby saidpartition may be slid into and operatively positioned with said drum.

5. In a laundry drying machine of the character described, thecombination with a casing having an opening therein and a closureelement therefor, of a foraminous drum rotatably mounted within saidcasing, means for passing air through said casing and drum and-means forrotating said drum; said drum having an opening in one end thereof andbeing positioned to rotate with its said opening in registry with theopening in said casing; and said drum being provided interiorly thereofwith a plurality of pairs of substantially diametrically opposed bafilesextending longitudinally of said drum, both baiiies of one of said pairsextending inwardly from the periphery of said drum beyond the edge ofthe said opening therein, and compressible yielding means disposedbetween the ends of said last mentioned pair of battles and the casingof said machine for preventing the articles from wedging between thedrum and casing, and a partition element for subdividing the interior ofsaid drum into two compartments, said element being adapted to passthrough the opening in said casing and drum and being provided withmeans slidably engageable with the said last mentioned pair of bafflesfor supporting said partition eleement therebetween whereby saidpartition may go slid into and operatively positioned within said rum.

6. In a laundry drying machine of the character described, thecombination with a casing having an opening therein and a closureelement therefor, of a ioraminous drum rotatably mountt ed within saidcasing, means for passing air through said casing and drum and means forrotating said drum; said drum having an opening in one end thereof andbeing positioned to rotate with its said opening in registry with theopening in said casing; and said drum being provided interiorly thereofwith a plurality of pairs of substantially diametrically opposedbafl'les extending longitudinally 01' said drum, both baflles of one ofsaid pairs extending inwardly from the periphery of said drum beyond theedge of the said opening therein, and said last mentioned pair ofbailles comprising compressible, yielding end portions in the zonesthereof lying adjacent the opening in said casing mentioned pair ofbaiiles in and inwardly beyond the edge of the opening in said drum, andsaid end portions lying closely adjacent the casing at said openingtherein, and a partition element for subdividing the interior of saiddrum into two compartments, said element being adapted to pass throughthe opening in said casing and drum and being provided with meansslidably engageable with the said last mentioned pair of babies forsupporting said partition element therebetween whereby said'partitionmay be slid into and operatively positioned within said drum.

7. In a laundry drying machine of the character described. thecombination with a casing having an opening therein and a closureelement therefor, of a foraminous drum rotatably mounted within saidcasing, means for air through said casing and drum and means forrotating said drum: said drum having an opening in one end thereof andbeing positioned to rotatewithitssaidopeninginregistrywiththe' openingin said casing; and said drum being provided interiorly thereof with aplurality of pairs 01' substantially diametrically opposed batllesextending longitudinally of said drum, both bailles of one of said pairsextending inwardly from the periphery of said drum beyond the edge ofthe said opening therein, and a partition element for subdividing theinterior of said drum into two compartments, said element being adaptedto pass through the opening in said casing and drum, and means foroperatively supporting said partition element on said lastdrum-subdividing position.

8. In a laundry drying machine of the character described, thecombination with a casing having an opening therein and a closureelement therefor, of a foraminous drum rotatably mounted within saidcasing, means for passing air through said casing and drum and means forrotating said drum; said drum having an opening in one end thereof andbeing positioned to rotate with its said opening in registry with theopening in said casing: and said drum being provided interiorly thereofwith a plurality of baiiles extending longitudinally of said drum, atleast one of said baflles extending radially of said drum and inwardlybeyond the edge of the said opening therein, a partition element forsubdividing the interior of said drum into .two compartments, saidelement being adapted'to pass through the opening in said casing drum,and means for operatively supporting'said partition element on said lastmentioned baflie and a second or said plurality of baiiies indrum-subdividing position. a

v EDWARD J; DOWNES.

